Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-02-24
further out, and relieve the piotets with the

others.
This was done in profound darkness
and, as my custom was on such occasions
travelled the whole length of the line Will
the relief, that might learn something o
the location of the pickets. But it wa
useless to hope for much information il
that obscurity. / knew that this was tn,
extreme left of our lines, and the Captain
of the One Hundred and Sixteenth, whom
! relieved, told me that the Shenandoah
River was near by the picket line. For tn,
rest, knew that had about two dozeI
picket posts. stretched over half mile.
cautioned them to be vigilant and returned
TO my reserve, numbering thirty or fort,
men.
The night wore away. The excitemen
of these movements, of the situation, aut
the frequent relieving of the pickets, with
the challenges all along the line which
could distinctly hear, prevented me from
having even those "cat-naps" which the
situation would have allowed. Sometime:
l walked about and talked with the men
about the stirring campaign that we had
thus far seen, and made some wise guesses
about what would happen on the morrow.
few distant lights seemed only to inten-
sify the darkness. There were few in
Strasburg, behind us, others off to the
right, and some so far off in front of us
that l knew they must be across the river
and in the enemy's territory. Now occur
red an incident that has always seemed To
me one of the queerest of my whole service.
SO far in front of us that the sound could
only have proceeded from the Confederate
right, band began to play. The distance
must have been quite mile; but the night
was still, and the condition of the atmos-
phere was favorable to the transmission of
sound. First we heard Bonnie Eloise, "
which some of our bands were accustomed
to play, but in which they did not claim an
exclusive property. Then my ears were sur
prised by "Yankee Doodle" This seemed
strange enough, considering where it come
from; but when, after rattling off Dixie, {"
tho entertainment wound up with "John
Brown" l experienced mild astonish-
ment. Whether it was harmless bravado,
or what was really meant by such eccen-
tricity, never knew.
Morning came, the great curtain of mist
slowly rolled away up the sides of the
mountain, and the situation was before us
with all its savage grandeur as well as pict-
uresque beauty. So remarkable, so nearly
wonderful were the military events which
attended the close of this day, that
the reader will not deem the little
space wasted in which the theater where
they occurred is described. The Shenan-
doah Valley, twenty miles in width north OF
this point, narrows here TO q width of four
miles, and right across it, from east to
west, stretches Fishers Hill, until it falls
away at the west to the little North Noun
tain. The hill is simply tho abrupt falling
OIL or the table-land north of it, and as
much of fortifcation as if nature had de-
signed it as such. The narrowing of the
valley at this point is caused by the double
~ hOfn nf kafV Al.
Blue Ridge, making parallel valleys, and
called the Massanutton Ranges. Just be-
low Fishers Hill these ranges terminate
80 abruptly as to give the spectator the idea
that he IS gazing upon two or three isolated
mountain peaks. We found ourselves on
the morning of the 22d at the base of these
natural giants, which lowered up fifteen
hundred feet over our heads, while the sill
Yer thread or the north FORK or the 6nenan-
doah wound round their base. Our eyes
turned to the long, high rampant OF Fish
ers Hill. Along its summit were stretched
the lines of Early's army, rallying here
after their defeat. 1t seemed madness TO
think Of attacking such a position as that;
it seemed so to me, and, have no doubt,
10 thousands of others in our army.
Yet 1t was done, and with triumphant
successl How, will be told further on.
The hours wore on into a wild, pleasant
autumn day. Our position was rather
isolated the town and the trees and fences,
as well as the inequalities of the ground, |
hid whatever hustle and stir there may have |
been among the lines of blue which curved |
away of to our right. Major Curtiss visited |
us from the reserve of the regiment, in |
spected our position, and said he had no
further orders. Our picket-reserve was of |
course idle, and naturally inquisitive; and |
Soma of tho coldiarc n lo.o,o /
vineyard near by, a summary contiscation |
was made of some bushels of grapes |
for the benefit of this part of |
the volunteer army. This was all |
well and proper; what followed was not |
so much so. One OF those pushing |
high privates laid his hands on bee hive, |
and brought it into the reserve in his arms. |
One of the colony within stung him, when |
he dropped his burden. Instantly the bees
poured out in an angry cloud, and in less |
time than it takes 10 write it, the whole re-
serve was dispersed with fair distribution
of stings. Four of them fell to my lot.
The whole scene was the very height of the
ridiculous. Dozens of men were rolling,
kicking, and slapping on the ground, Others
running as if for life, pursued by the in
insects, and cries of pain mingled
with shrieks of laughter. The nearest
pickets, observing the tumult, naturally
supposed the reserve was attacked (as IN
deed it wasl, ana faced about, ready for q
shot. When the insects had satisfied their
rage upon us luckless New Yorkers, they
settled in buzzing cloud directly above
the stacks of muskets; and it was full half
m hour before we could regain possession
Of our arms. The fellow who was at the
bottom of all this trouble received, am
glad to say, liberal share of the stings;
and as the incident created as much mirth
rs pain, he escaped any other punishment.
About the middle of the day, when every
hing wore the most peaceful aspect, an
)fficer of General Emory's staff rode up.
"The General directs" he said, "that you
open fire from your picket-line. lie wants
o make the enemy in lis front across the
liver show themselves"
1 sent two sergeants out to the line, TO
70 each way and give the order.
commence firing; aim anywhere to the
ront."
/ had been studying the ground opposite,
which sloped from the river back to the
and not observing tho least
ign OF an enemy there, had concluded
hat there was none.
But now, as the lively rattle of our pick
IT'S rifles ran up and down along the whole
ront OF half q mile or more, the opposite
idle of the river was suddenly awakened to | ]
lfe. From behind walls and fences, from {
Jumps of trees, from the doors and win
ows OF brick house, white puffs OF I
moke started mp, and we heard the hum |
ming OF bullets about us. The range was
ather long, but not too long for the rihed '
1usket 10 kill. Nobody was hit on our I
ide; how it was OH the other side do not 8
now. Some OF our men in their zeal put q
Il III b..